Post by mollybrown on Apr 13, 2014 15:56:29 GMT -5
First house: some basic cleaning. The previous owners left it very clean, so we didn't have to do much. We never changed the locks or garage code. We only painted one room the entire time we lived in the house (DS' big boy room).
2nd house: New build, so the same basic cleaning. It was actually more work moving into the new build, since we had to run out and buy paper shades, order permanent window coverings, and have appliances delivered.
We haven't moved in yet, but we have a long list (and a few weeks between closing and move in)
- interior painting - new carpet in basement - custom closet for master bedroom installed - re brick one of the fireplaces - change locks - set up with new alarm company - cleaning service
Post by texassmith on Apr 13, 2014 20:53:12 GMT -5
We closed on our house a couple weeks ago but aren't moving until the end of May. We're ripping out tile downstairs and putting in hardwood, painting the entire interior, opening up a wall, and powerwashing/staining/sealing the deck and pergola. After all the work is done and the contractors are out, we'll get the carpet upstairs steam cleaned and have the locks rekeyed.
Well, we had renos to do before moving in. We wanted to update all of the wiring and do a few other electrical things, which took a few weeks, PLUS paint all walls/trim/ceilings, re-do the kitchen floor, and refinish the hardwood floors, because I knew I wouldn't want to move all my furniture out again in the future to do the floors later on.
But yes, we changed the locks the day after we closed.
Bought TP holders. We had a new construction so we didn't have to do much.
This reminded me of the things we hadn't thought of that we needed with new construction. We had TP holders, but we needed rods, curtains and liners for the showers. It seemed like every time we turned around we needed something. Every house we have lived in has needed window coverings of some sort...even if it was just the temporary paper shades to buy us some time.
texassmith reminded me of the mistakes we made buying new stuff before moving in and actually living in the new house. Luckily, when we lived in the new build we were broke so we didn't buy too many things that wound up not working out the way that we expected (just some small items and an inexpensive setee), but some of our neighbors had all new furniture that really wound up not working for the house because of it being the wrong scale or just not right for the flow of the space. The floor plan was kind of odd, and it was easier to wait and figure out what worked and what didn't with our old stuff, and not waste money on bad choices. This house was so different than our last one, and the move was cross country, so we got rid of a lot of stuff. We tried to wait to get furniture here, but wound up just postponing it a little and making decisions before all of the reno was done. We are still struggling with furniture arrangement, and in hindsight I would have changed one of our (DH's) fabric selections, but it isn't something that I actually regret, but overall waiting even just long enough to see how we use the space was helpful.
Bought TP holders. We had a new construction so we didn't have to do much.
This reminded me of the things we hadn't thought of that we needed with new construction. We had TP holders, but we needed rods, curtains and liners for the showers. It seemed like every time we turned around we needed something. Every house we have lived in has needed window coverings of some sort...even if it was just the temporary paper shades to buy us some time.
texassmith reminded me of the mistakes we made buying new stuff before moving in and actually living in the new house. Luckily, when we lived in the new build we were broke so we didn't buy too many things that wound up not working out the way that we expected (just some small items and an inexpensive setee), but some of our neighbors had all new furniture that really wound up not working for the house because of it being the wrong scale or just not right for the flow of the space. The floor plan was kind of odd, and it was easier to wait and figure out what worked and what didn't with our old stuff, and not waste money on bad choices. This house was so different than our last one, and the move was cross country, so we got rid of a lot of stuff. We tried to wait to get furniture here, but wound up just postponing it a little and making decisions before all of the reno was done. We are still struggling with furniture arrangement, and in hindsight I would have changed one of our (DH's) fabric selections, but it isn't something that I actually regret, but overall waiting even just long enough to see how we use the space was helpful.
We needed those as well but didn't buy them before moving in. The amount of money that we spent at Target and Lowes that first week makes my stomach hurt. Thankfully we are in the middle of no-where so window coverings wasn't a huge priority but I had never lived in a brand new house before, there are so many things that needed to be done / purchased.
Post by thatgirl2478 on Apr 15, 2014 9:45:51 GMT -5
With the current house we did the following:
- changed locks - changed door knobs - changed toilets - refinished hardwood floors - installed laminate cork flooring in the one bedroom that did not have original wood - demo'd and rebuilt the bathroom & kitchen
So much easier to do that while living in another location (especially with an infant).
Post by downtoearth on Apr 15, 2014 12:01:04 GMT -5
First House: Bought patio furniture - and cleaned a little (it was really clean).
Second House: We ripped out the carpet in the main floor (hardwood underneath) and that's about it. Then we cleaned. No lock changes or anything else until we were living there. But we had about 48 hours between closing on the house and having to move in.
Oh dear Lord treedimensional. We had that happen on one of my parents' moves. Previous owner pulled everything- even the bulb from the fridge. He was like the Grinch cleaning out Whoville.
Our last house was destroyed in a flood, we moved in with my parents and bought their place a couple months later. We did nothing first, although I did repaint a room for DS when we first came here. My mother insisted on deep cleaning her bedroom when we made settlement and I had the fun of packing all her crap and supervising her move to storage/beach house.
ETA: I had recently changed her locks to match mine so I only had to carry a single door key. So I didn't have to change the locks. That reminds me, I need to re-key her house in FL.
We gutted the whole thing, so yes new everything including doors and locks. We usually change the locks and make sure the carpets are cleaned if we are moving in without changes.
Post by starburst604 on Apr 17, 2014 20:11:28 GMT -5
We didn't have to do anything. The house was so immaculate, I don't know if it will ever be that clean again. The couple we bought it from really took pride in it, at the walk through their realtor said she had come by the night before and the little old lady was on her hands and knees polishing the floor! We've made some cosmetic changes and painted some walls, and keep meaning to change the locks, especially the code on the garage door (it's old, I need to find out how somehow). They even told us at closing that they'd just changed the batteries in all the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, so we didn't have to. They also left us the names of all the paint colors in the house, should we need to touch up, and every appliance manual and warranty. These people were ON POINT.